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KEVIN RUSHWORTH HIGH RIVER TIMES/QMI AGENCY. The government of Alberta announced $12-million in funding which will go towards the conservation and restoration of heritage buildings, museums and archives as well as archeological sites.

In recent days, two provincial government funding announcements, one to preserve and protect heritage resources affected by the disaster and the second to support impacted non-profit and arts organizations, were steps forward in Alberta's recovery.

The government of Alberta announced $12-million in funding on Jan. 27 at the Museum of the Highwood. These funds will be used to protect historical buildings, museums and archives and archeological and palaeontological sites, according to Heather Klimchuk, minister of culture.

“Not only do our heritage resources reveal the unique history and character of Alberta, but they're also important touchstones of a thriving community,” she said. “They remind us of who we are and they're important to our provincial economy.”

Not a day later the government then announced $4-million that will assist non-profit and volunteer sector organizations affected by June's flood. An additional $229,000 will be provided to arts groups.

Out of the $12-million provided, $4.5-million will be made variable to support owners of designated heritage buildings. The funds would be used to pay for flood-related work not covered by the DRP or by insurance.

“This funding will cover non-standard repair work that comes under the historical nature of the damaged properties,” she said. “In doing repairs, property owners will have to meet natural standards for heritage conservation.”

According to a release provided, provincial or municipal historic resources that were affected by June's flooding are eligible for the program. Resources that have been assessed, determined eligible, but haven't been designated are also eligible.

The support is available for preservation, rehabilitation and restoration work that will help retain the value of a historic resource. Funding does not include work already covered or eligible for support through private insurance or the DRP.

The funding is to be provided through a separate grant category and will be strictly used to address flood impacts to designated heritage properties, according to the government release.

“This funding will help to ensure that our heritage treasures and the remarkable history they represent will be restored and protected,” she said. “Alberta's past is an important part of our future. If we don't respect our past, we'll find it much harder to build our future.”

For historic buildings, there will be four application intake deadlines including April 1, July 2, October 1 and Jan. 2, 2015.

$6-million is also to be made available for museums and archives affected by the flooding. These funds will be administered on behalf of the provincial government by the Alberta Museums Association and the Archives Society of Alberta.

Non-profit and volunteer organizations are able to apply for the flood relief funding through the Community Initiatives Program (CIP) and the Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP)

Funding for impacted arts organizations would be administered through Alberta Arts Rebuild, a partnership between government and community agencies, according to a government release.

Barry Finkelman, president of the Alberta Museums Association, said they appreciate the energy and commitment the Alberta government has provided towards flood-impacted non-profit and cultural institutions.

He said the funding would assist his colleagues in the museum and heritage community with the high costs of recovering, restoring and rebuilding their collections and facilities.

“Today's announcement is going to be a tremendous step forward to help Alberta's museums, archives and heritage sites recover from the devastating effects of last summer's floods,” he noted.

Mayor Craig Snodgrass said whether it was the Museum of the Highwood, the Wales Theatre or any other municipal heritage site, they were all important landmarks for the community.

“Really, all I can keep saying to you guys is thank-you so much for everything you're doing for this town,” Snodgrass said.

Finally, $1.5-million will be made available to support Alberta Culture programs to collect fossils and artifacts from archeological sites unveiled after the June floods.

Irene Kerr, director of the Museum of the Highwood, said she hopes the money can be used towards education and helping other museums have proper collection storage spaces and disaster plans.

“The whole thing to me is about protecting what we have because our heritage is so important,” she said. “We learned a lot of lessons that we hope we can share with other museums and the AMA.”

Kerr said she was excited by the prospects of funding going towards the restoration of heritage buildings in High River and across Alberta. Giving assistance and guidance about saving damaged heritage sites was critical.